Leap Motion, the motion control system that provides users a more “natural” way to interact with their PC, will begin shipping to ‘pre-order customers’ from the 13th of May.
In a nutshell, the Leap Motion controller is a small, USB-powered device that, upon a quick application installation and hardware calibration, allows you to interact with a computer by way of gesture. Games, productivity applications, drawing tools– you name it– Leap Motion is aiming to make it all more efficient.
The official site (see the provided link above) states that the Controller is “200 times more accurate than anything else on the market– at any price point“, which is a big call considering that the Leap Motion ships at a Pre-Order price of $79.99US. Exactly how accurate is this device, though? According to official documentation, Leap Motion will “track your individual finger movements to 1/100th of a millimeter“. Impressive, to say the least.
What’s also impressive is the amount of support that this product has received from developers, something that often determines the long-term success or immediate failure of new devices like this. Leap’s Andy Miller has announced that “fifty-two thousand developers have applied for Leap Motion developer kits, and twelve thousand have already been sent out”, the results may just speak for themselves in the video below. Here’s a sneak peek.
Launching alongside the Leap Controller (or, as it appears to be dubbed, “Kinect for Computers”) is AirSpace, the web-based application store for Leap Motion-related software products. Miller has confirmed that dedicated developers have already begun submitting applications to AirSpace– even before it has officially opened!
In summation: if the thought of being able to implement a Minority Report-esque display in your own home excites you as much as it does me, I recommend placing an order here.
We’ll see you in May, Leap Motion.
